Flush hinge.



No. 845,863. PATENTED MAR. 5, 1907.

J. ERICKSONI PLUSH'HINGE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2,1906.

[VHA/15255155.v

'A TTU/PNE YS JOHN ERICKSON, OF SHEYENNE, NORTHV DAKOTA.

FLUSH HINGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 5, 1907.

Application tiled July 2,1906. Serial No. 324,419.

To a/ZZ whom, t may con/cern;

Be it known that I, JOHN ERICKSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sheyenne, in the county of Eddy and State of North Dakota, have invented a new and useful Flush Hinge, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to iiush hinges, such as comprise a pair of leaf members conpeted with each other by an intermediate Flush hinges of the character indicated are open to the serious objection that the pivotal connecting-link frequently binds in one position, so as to interfere with the proper movements of the leaf members. Furthermore, when such flush hinges are used upon trap-doors it is found that while the door will open or close smoothly for a part of the way still when a certain point is reached and the link swings across the center of balance said link will break joints with one of the leaf members and will permit the door to drop downward for a distance approximately equal to the length of the link with a violent The object of the present invention is to overcome the disadvantages of prior flush hinges as above set forth and to provide a strong, simple, durable, and inexpensive device which will work as easily and smoothly as an ordinary door-hinge- With the 'foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope ofthe following claims without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacricing any of its advantages.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this speciiication, Figure l is a plan view of a flush hinge constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section with the members in alinement. Fig. 3 is an under plan view of the hinge with one of the members folded upward. Fig. i is a similar view to Fig. 2, but with the parts reversed, showing one of.

the members tilted partly upward and also showing in dotted lines the position of said mcmberwhen tilted entirely backward. Fig. 5 isa side elevation.

Like reference-numerals indicate corresponding parts in the different 'figures of the drawings.

The improved hinge of this invention preferably comprises a pair of leaf members A and B. While the leaf members may be of any suitable form and construction, still said members preferably consist of flat plates adapted to be set into suitable recesses in a floor and a trap-door or any other desired surroundings. Each of the members A and B is formed with a plurality of perforations l, which constitute means for securing the same in position by receiving nails, screws, or the like. The leaf members A and B are also provided with depending casings 2, each of which is formed with an open top 3, a closed inner end 4, and an open outer-end 5. The closed inner end 4 preferably is curved, as shown.

Fitting at its opposite ends into the depending casings 2 of the members A and B is a link C, the upper surface of which is flush with the open tops 3 of the casings 2. The link O is fcrmed with curved ends 6, which are adapted -to fit against the curved inner ends 4 of the casings. Tle referencenumerals 7 indicate pivot-pins, by means of which the link is pivotally connected with the casings 2. `As shown in the drawing, the curved ends 4 and 6 of the casings and link are approximately concentric with the adjacent pivot-pin 7. At the outer end thereof the casing 2 of the member A is fcrmed with a concave portion 8, which is adapted to cooperate with a convex ptrtion 9 on the outer end ofthe casing 2 of tlie member B. The concave and convex pcrticns 8 and 9 preferably are eccentrically arranged with respect to the pivotpin 7 of the member B, so that said concave and convex pcr tions will not Contact with each other except when the members A and B are in alinement, whereby said portions constitute means for aiding the link O in preventing the downward movement of one member upon the other, while permitting free upward movement thereof, as will be apparent.

IOO

The means for preventing binding of the link C and for also holdi'i'ig it in proper yielding position with respect to one or the other of the members A and B preferably comprises a coil-spring 10, which is mounted at one end in an open-ended recess 11 in the lower surface of the link C, said spring being held in said recess by means such as the bolt 12, which extends .transversely across the recess between the coils of the spring. At its opposite end the spring 10 extends through a perforation 13 1n the casing 2 and is held securely in position by means such as the rectangular plate 14, which is fitted into a shallow depression 15 in the casing 2 and projects at its lower end between two adj acent coils of the spring. The tension of the coil-spring serves to hold the plate 14 in the depression 15, and said plate serves to prevent the withdrawal of the spring from the perforation 13. This arrangement of the parts is strong, simple, durable, and inexpensive. f

The spring 1() serves to hold the link C yieldingly in proper position with respect to one of the members, so that said link will not move in a pivotal direction upon said member until the other member is moved as far upon the link as possible, after which the spring l() will be stretched so as to permit pivotal movement of the link upon the member with which the opposite end of the spring is connected. ln using the device as a hinge for a trap-door it will be found, for instance, that if the member A be secured to the floor and the member B to the trap-door said door can be raised and swung backward until it assumes an angle of approximately forty-five degrees with respect to the member A before the rear upper end of the casing 2 will contact with the upper end of the link C, thus preventing further relative movement between the member B and the link C. If the member B shall be pushed farther backward, the link C will move in a pivotal direction upon the member A by stretching the spring. 10. In this way the member B or the door connected therewith can be laid back parallel with the floor with which the member A is connected. When the door is raised from the licor in the operation of closing the same, the spring 10 will gradually draw the link C back into alinement with the member A and the member B will not move pivotally with respect to the upper end of the link U until said link is drawn completely into alinement with the member A by the spring 10. lf the spring 1() were dispensed with, it would be found that when the door was in opened position and it was desired to close the same the member B would first swing upon the link C until said link was in alinement with said member B. Then when the member B had reached an approximately vertical position with respect to the member A the link and the member B would suddenly break joints, so that the link C would drop down into horizontal position, so as to be in alinement 'with the member A. This sudden dropping of the link C would soon cause the flush hinge to become worn out and inoperative. lt will be apparent, therefore, that by the use of the spring 10, which yieldingly holds the link C in proper position with respect to one of the members, the disadvantages of former constructions of hinges are overcome.

What is claimed is- 1. A flush hinge comprising a pair of members, a link pivotally connected with both of said members, and a coil-spring connected with said link and one of said members.

2. A iiush hinge comprising a pair of members, a link pivotally connected with both of said members and having an open-ended recess therein, and a spring mounted in said recess and connected with one of said members.

3. A flush hinge comprising a pair of members each having a casing,` a link pivotally mounted at its ends within said casings, and a spring connected at one end with said link and at the other end with one of said casings.

4. A iiush hinge comprising a pair of members each having a casing, formed with an open outer end, a closed roimded inner end and an open top, one casing having a perforation in its inner end, a link fitting at its opposite ends into said casings and being hush with the open tops thereof, said link being pivotally connected with said casings and havmg rounded ends concentric with its pivot-points and adapted to coperate with the rounded ends of the casings, said link having in its bottom an open-ended slot, a spring secured in said slot and extending through the perforation in the end of one of the casings, and a plate fitted against the end of the last-mentioned casing and extending between the coils of the spring` 5. A flush hinge comprising a pair of members each having a casing, formed with an open outer end, a closed rounded inner end and an open top, one casing having a perforation in its inner end, a link htting at its opposite ends into said casings and being hush with the open tops thereof, said link being pivotally connected with said casings and having rounded ends concentric with its pivot-points and adapted to coperate with the rounded ends of the casings, said link having in its bottom an open-ended slot, a spring secured in said slot and extending through the perforation in the end of one of the casings, and a plate fitted against the end of the last-mentioned casing and extend- IOO IIO

ing hetween the coils of the spring, one of my own I have hereto afBXed my signature said casings having a concave portion at its in the presence of two Witnesses.

outer end and the other casing havin@ a con- T Vex portion at its outer end, the concve and JOHN ERICKSON conveXed portions being eccentric to the pivot i I/Vitnesses: at one end of said link. y C. C. MANNING,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as i T. CLINCH. 

